Mickey Drexler

Why he's influential: Drexler has been called the "Merchant Prince." He worked at Ann Taylor and Gap before helping shape J. Crew into a huge success.

Drexler's team is also powerful. Creative director and brand president Jenna Lyons is known for quirky sartorial taste. Somsack Sikhounmuong helped define Madewell's signature "cool girl" look, and now J. Crew is hoping that he'll help reshape the core brand. He was tapped to spearhead J. Crew's women sector during a major corporate shakeup in June.

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Amancio Ortega

Who he is: Amancio Ortega is the cofounder of Inditex, which houses the fast-fashion behemoth Zara. He's the world's second-richest man.

Why he's influential: Ortega was the richest man in the world for a few minutes, Forbes reported. Inditex — and Zara — are reshaping the way people think about fast fashion and challenging the industry by churning out runway-inspired designs at a rapid pace.

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Mark Parker

AP/Rick Bowmer

Who he is: Mark Parker is the CEO of Nike.

Why he's influential: Few companies innovate as steadily — and as competitively — as Nike does. Parker has been praised for his leadership abilities.

Tory Burch

Paul Morigi/Getty

Who she is: Burch is the designer and co-CEO of her namesake brand.

Why she's influential: Burch's bags, flats, and apparel are certainly popular, but she's set on maintaining the brand's luxury; this fall, she vowed to maintain the company's privacy by not going public. Burch continues to innovate; she launched an athletic-wear line called Tory Sport.

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Leslie Wexner

AP Photo/Matt Sullivan

Who he is: Wexner is the chairman and CEO of L Brands (formerly Limited Brands), which houses Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Ralph Lauren

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Who he is: Executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren.

Why he's influential: Even though he stepped down from his position as CEO of his namesake brand this year, Lauren's influence is still strong. "When they start designing things I can't understand, I'll quit," Lauren said to The New York Times. "But I don't feel like I'm stepping back now."

Kanye West

Who he is: Although he was initially known as a rapper, Kanye West is now a double threat to pop culture as a fashion designer.

Why he's influential: Kanye has carved his niche in sportswear; his Adidas clothing line sold out nearly instantly, and his Yeezy shoes are incredibly popular. Footwear News named the Yeezy Boost "Shoe of the Year."

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Jennifer Foyle

Aerie/Ali Mitton

Who she is: Foyle is the global brand president of Aerie, American Eagle's lingerie subsidiary.

Why she's influential: Foyle has helped Aerie become the body-positive lingerie retailer for young women, with its unretouched photos.

"We definitely had a creative moment where the team got together and we just said, 'Really, what's happening today with millennials and the next generation?'" Foyle told Business Insider. "And we really felt like girls today are just more independent and stronger than ever. Since nixing Photoshop, Aerie's sales have soared.

Lee Holman

A woman walks into a store of yogawear retailer Lululemon Athletica in downtown Vancouver
Thomson Reuters

Who he is: Holman is the first creative director of Lululemon.

Why he's influential: Holman, formerly Lululemon's SVP of the women's division, was tapped to take on this game-changing job this fall. Before joining Lululemon in 2014, Holman spent time at Nike in several positions, including creative director. He has worked at Burberry and Abercrombie & Fitch. According to a release at the time of his promotion, he would "oversee both Men's and Women's product design."

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Neil Blumenthal

Skillshare

Who he is: Blumenthal is the cofounder of Warby Parker.

Why he's influential: Warby Parker known for its socially aware ethos. The company — previously an e-commerce brand — has launched brick-and-mortar stores.

Emme

Who she is: Emme is a plus-size supermodel and activist who launched "Fashion Without Limits" at Syracuse University. The program teaches budding designers how to design for plus-size bodies.

Why she's influential: Emme launched Fashion Without Limits because a big reason retailers don't sell to larger women is they don't know how to, she says. Emme is looking to solve the problem by going to the root of the problem — where designers are taught.

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Ashley Graham

Courtesy of Addition Elle

Who she is: Ashley Graham is a model who has become an activist and businesswoman in her own right.

Why she's influential: Graham has been changing the way retailers treat women. Her lingerie line with Addition Elle gives plus-size women the opportunity to wear sexy — not dowdy — undergarments.

Eva Chen

Getty Images

Who she is: Chen is the head of fashion partnerships at Instagram and the former editor-in-chief of Lucky.

Why she's influential: Instagram is crucial to fashion and retail companies, and can greatly influence what people buy. She joined the team in July, Women's Wear Daily reported, and now can help Instagram continue to push its partnership with brands.